Viewpoint: Dropouts need more programs like Muskegon Opportunity

Just weeks ago we celebrated the success of our graduating high school seniors. We went to their open houses and offered congratulations. Now many of them are going off to college, doing what we need for Michigan’s economy to prosper.

But what about the thousands of their peers who didn’t graduate? Those who dropped out or are entering their fifth or sixth year of high school. What are we doing to help them become educated, skilled workers and taxpayers?

It’s a problem affecting us all. In 2009, 16,124 Michigan students — 11 percent of the student body — dropped out. Another 19,000 failed to graduate in the typical four years. Combined, that’s nearly one-quarter of students who didn’t graduate after four years of high school.

That tells us:

Too many young people aren’t succeeding in traditional high schools.

Alternative paths are needed to ensure all youths at least the basic high school education.

The costs are too high to delay action. Dropouts earn on average less than half the income of a college graduate. They cost communities and the state with foregone tax revenues and drain our coffers with much higher rates of poverty, unemployment, incarceration, substance abuse and teen parenting. And they are reducing the size and quality of our workforce, thereby limiting our economic growth potential.

As part of his education reform package, Gov. Snyder recently proposed the “Any Time, Any Place, Any Way, Any Pace” learning model. While much has been made of it tying funding to students rather than districts and requiring districts to allow school-of-choice, it’s important to note the model contains a key solution to our dropout problem by recognizing that all kids do not learn the same. This model allows flexibility in learning by incorporating online learning, dual enrollment, blended learning and early college attendance.

We hope it also will look to build on innovative programs around the state that are re-engaging dropouts and focusing on ensuring success for all students. Programs such as the Muskegon Opportunity aimed at increasing graduation rates and access to post-secondary education among youths in Muskegon County, where the dropout rate exceeds 30 percent and only 18 percent of residents over 25 hold a bachelor degree or higher – well below the state average of 25 percent and the national average of 27 percent.

The grassroots effort with cooperation from many stakeholders including philanthropy, education, business, government, social service and community sectors, has a multi-pronged approach to solving the problem by reaching out not only to students who already have dropped out but also grabbing them younger — in seventh grade — to start building education plans tailored to each student. A mentoring collaborative connects at-risk high school juniors and seniors with adults in industry and business, social agencies, and faith-based organizations to help them prepare for college and work life. And the effort works hard to help college students find valuable financial support.

This is a unique program worthy of attention, support and duplication throughout Michigan.

Innovative programs like this are needed to raise Michigan’s graduation rates and move Michigan forward. But how do we get them? We give schools incentives to work with higher education and workforce development partners to provide alternate paths and supports. And we invest smart – in programs like this that are proven to work and in parent support, health services, and quality early childhood education that help get our students on the right paths early on and stay on them.

So as we prepare our kids to go back to school, we also have our assignment: To be smarter about how we are equipping them to be our future leaders and workers.

Jack Kresnak is the President & CEO of Michigan’s Children, a statewide, nonpartisan and nonprofit advocacy organization based in Lansing. For more, go to www.michiganschildren.org